The development or optimization of complex electronic devices or circuits requires extensive tests, signals of a test system being input into a test object and the agreements or deviations of the behavior of the test object thus caused from an expected behavior being analyzed. The test systems used for this purpose may be understood to be a set of instruments whose actions are controlled by a test program. In this context, the term “instrument” is understood in a very broad sense. Accordingly, an instrument may be understood to be both an individual signal generator or a single measuring instrument as well as a group of signal generators or measuring instruments, which interact under the control of a control unit in order to simulate a concrete application situation of an object to be tested via supplied signals or to analyze the interaction over time of several response signals picked off at the test object.
Test programs are made up of instruction sequences similar to a computer program that define the actions of the individual instruments. These instruction sequences are generally written by hand. It is often not only desirable to optimize them with respect to time by accelerating the test process, but it is sometimes absolutely necessary in order to provide a sequence of signals on time in order to test the test object in a given time-critical application situation and to be able to analyze the response of the test object to these signals.
Such an optimization requires much subject knowledge and programming time. Tools that make it possible to reduce this expenditure of time and to systematize the optimization have not been available until this time.